Chop Suey!

So this dish is quite the cultural phenomenon, one of the first dishes of Chinese descent eaten by Americans its roots are in the Canton region of China and translates to basically mean “leftovers”.

The vegetable merchants would make and eat this with what vegetables were left after they were at market and was really based upon season. We ate this all the time growing up and still to this day it is one of my favorites, my mom never attempted this one, she and dad would get take out or buy the canned version (hey it was the eighties…well and nineties!) they still sell it in the International section of grocery stores if you want to give it a go, but honestly this version is fresh, fast, easy, and can be tuned to your specific preferences.
You will need:
1 bag slaw mix (keep it easy)
1/2 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp grated ginger
3 green onions, sliced, green tops reserved for garnish
2 cups of your favorite sliced veggies I used bean sprouts, celery and baby bok choy, but other options are mushrooms, broccoli, green bean, bell peppers, squash, etc.
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1.5 cups of protein, I used some rotisserie chicken I had left over, but you can omit meat all together, add tofu or another cup or so of your favorite veggies.
For stir fry slurry:
1 cup chicken or veggie stock
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp bouillon I used Knorr chicken, this adds a little MSG which gives you that classic “take-out” taste
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
In a hot wok or large skillet heat oil on high, add meat if you are using a raw product, add all your veggies and stir-fry till they are tender crisp, if you slice them think this only takes about five minutes. Whisk slurry well, and pour into veggie mixture till it thickens and bubbles about a minute or so. Turn off heat. Serve with rice, I used a few crispy rice noodles for fun but those are optional, don’t forget to top with your green onion tops sliced thinly. This technique can be used for several other variations on stir-fry and dinner can be made in 30 minutes or less.